Latest news with #HighLevelBridge
CTV News
3 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Lethbridge fire and emergency services water rescue team training beneath the High Level Bridge
First responders spent Wednesday doing training exercises in water rescue on the High Level Bridge. Specially trained first responders spent much of Wednesday morning training alongside and even climbing the High Level Bridge. Fast water, steep terrain and railway infrastructure make any emergency here especially dangerous. 'We've got both the water rescue and the high angle rescue or the rope rescue team out here,' said LFES training division deputy chief, Wes Borland. 'So they're working together,' Borland said. 'A lot of the members are on both teams, so it works out really well. And it's just a chance to get out on the CPKC bridge.' The training is done in conjunction with CPKC, who own and operate the rail track. LFES needs to get permission just to train on the bridge. The cooperation between the two helps ensure first responders are prepared. 'Some of the members have probably never been on this bridge, so it's a good chance for them to get familiar with it. It's kind of like, a preplan for our fires. So, we go out, we scope it out. They've been working on this for a couple of weeks,' said Borland. It was more than just a training exercise. LFES personnel also took the time to remove ropes than had been hung up so people could jump into the water. Water rescue exercises, Aug. 13, 2025 LFES personnel also took the time to remove ropes than had been hung up so people could jump into the water. (Quinn Keenan, CTV Lethbridge) 'They don't understand the dangers here. This bridge is the property of CPKC and it is private property. So, for individuals who are entering or climbing on that bridge, they're actually trespassing. We don't want that, it's unsafe,' said fire chief, Greg Adair. It's an especially dangerous area to swim. Below the water is barbed wire, concrete with exposed rebar, large rocks and tree debris. LFES works to clear out as much as they can but the best advice is to avoid swimming under the bridge. 'It's a very inviting river, but this is not a playground. This is a very dangerous spot within the river, with all the hazards you see around us and what you can't see below. We asked people to stay away from this area. It is not a safe area,' said Adair.
CTV News
19-06-2025
- CTV News
Police recover body of teen boy who drowned in Lethbridge
Lethbridge police and fire crews were called to the Oldman River near the High Level Bridge on June 18, 2025, after a teenage boy went missing while trying to swim across the water. Lethbridge police say a 17-year-old boy idrowned in the Oldman River. Officials say the boy was attempting to swim across the river near the High Level Bridge at 7 p.m. on Wednesday. He went under the water and did not resurface. Police recovered the boy's body on Thursday morning. When the boy was reported missing, police responded to the scene and deployed a drone to search for him. A dive team with Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services also launched a boat, equipped with sonar, to search the water while other personnel searched the riverbanks. The search was called off when it became too dark on Wednesday. A large area of the river valley near the High Level Bridge was blocked off from the public Thursday as the search continued. Officials say the boy's body was found around 9 a.m. LPS victim/witness services are supporting the boy's family. There is no evidence of foul play.
CTV News
16-05-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Edmonton weather: Temperatures near average plus some scattered showers for the long weekend
Fog obscures the Walterdale and High Level Bridges in downtown Edmonton on May 16, 2025. (CTV News Edmonton)
